Apparels Footwear and Leather Goods (AFL)Testing Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market is estimated to be valued at USD 6,647.5 Mn in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 9,479.2 Mn in 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.20% from 2025 to 2032.
The market analysis for testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) services in the apparel, footwear, and leather goods (AFL) sector examines various types of testing, including physical, chemical, and colorfastness testing. Additionally, it covers certification services, as well as third-party audits and inspections. The global AFL TIC market is experiencing growth due to the increasing disposable income and rapid urbanization in emerging economies.
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In terms of service type, the testing service segment is estimated to holds the 47.4% share of the market in 2025, due to strict global regulations, rising consumer focus on safety, durability, and sustainability, and the need for chemical, physical, and colorfastness checks. Global brands increasingly demand rigorous quality assurance to meet compliance, protect reputation, and ensure eco-friendly practices, driving strong demand for testing across apparel, footwear, and leather goods.
For instance, in January 2025, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) inaugurated its Hyderabad branch laboratory dedicated to testing specialized textile products. The facility is equipped with a Universal Testing Machine and soon to include yarn-testing capabilities, aims to strengthen quality control, enforce standards, and bolster India’s textile sector.
In terms of industry, the footwear segment is expected to command the largest share in 2025 due to strict safety, durability, and chemical compliance requirements. Rising global trade, sustainability concerns, and consumer expectations for quality and comfort necessitate rigorous testing. Brands also rely on third-party inspections and certifications to ensure regulatory adherence, ethical sourcing, and international market acceptance.
For instance, in August 2024, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued the Footwear Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024,. The mandate requires specified types of footwear to meet Indian standards and display the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mark after certification. Compliance is now essential for market access.
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Europe’ dominance in the global apparels, footwear, and leather goods (AFL) testing, inspection, and certification market, with an estimated share of 37% in 2025, is primarily due to stringent EU regulations on product safety, chemical usage (REACH compliance), and sustainability standards. Growing consumer awareness of ethical sourcing and eco-friendly products drives brands to ensure transparency and quality. Additionally, Europe’s strong fashion and luxury goods industry further amplifies the need for rigorous TIC services.
For instance, in June 2025, the European Commission introduced new Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for apparel and footwear. Developed with input from industry, NGOs, and national authorities over five years, the science-based framework assesses environmental impact across a product’s lifecycle from raw materials to end-of-life to foster sustainable design and support a circular economy.
North America region is expected to exhibit the fastest growth in the global apparels, footwear, and leather goods (AFL) testing, inspection, and certification market with 29.8% share in 2025 due to strict regulatory standards, strong consumer focus on product safety, and rising sustainability requirements. Growth in apparel and footwear imports, coupled with leading global brands headquartered in the region, drives reliance on TIC services to ensure compliance, quality assurance, and brand reputation protection.
For instance, in November 2024, ASTM International, in collaboration with NIST and AATCC, released a report outlining essential standards for advancing textile circularity. The "Standards Needs for Circular Textiles Workshop Report" identifies key areas such as terminology, sorting, grading, recycling, labeling, and design for circularity. The report emphasizes the importance of standardized practices to enhance recycling efficiency and product lifecycle transparency in the textile industry.
The U.S. Apparels, Footwear, and Leather Goods (AFL) Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) Market is driven by strict federal and state regulations, including CPSC, FTC, and EPA mandates, alongside rising consumer demand for safe, sustainable, and ethically produced goods. Garment factories must obtain certifications like WRAP, GOTS, OEKO-TEX, and ISO to meet buyer expectations, avoid fines, and maintain retail partnerships, boosting demand for testing and certification services.
For instance, in February 2025, forever 21 recalled approximately 24,700 children's pajamas due to non-compliance with federal flammability standards, posing a burn risk. The recall includes 20 styles of pajama pants, shorts, and sets sold in sizes 5/6 to 13/14. Consumers are advised to stop using the garments, destroy them, and contact Forever 21 for a refund. No injuries have been reported.
The Apparels, Footwear, and Leather Goods (AFL) Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) market is highly demanding in Germany due to strict national and EU regulations on product safety, chemical compliance, and environmental standards. Rising consumer awareness for sustainable and ethically produced garments, coupled with Germany’s large manufacturing and export-oriented apparel sector, drives reliance on TIC services to ensure quality, regulatory adherence, and market access.
For instance, in July 2025, Global Standard, the non-profit organization behind the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), initiated a public consultation for its new voluntary sustainability framework, the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS). The consultation invites input from companies, NGOs, consumers, and certification bodies to ensure the new standard reflects real-world needs and expectations.
| Report Coverage | Details | ||
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| Base Year: | 2024 | Market Size in 2025: | USD 6,647.5 Mn |
| Historical Data for: | 2020 To 2024 | Forecast Period: | 2025 To 2032 |
| Forecast Period 2025 to 2032 CAGR: | 5.20% | 2032 Value Projection: | USD 9,479.2 Mn |
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| Companies covered: |
Intertek Group plc., Bureau Veritas SA, TUV Rheinland Group, SGS S.A., Underwriters Laboratories Inc., TÜV SÜD, CTC Groupe, Eurofins Scientific, QIMA, and Hohenstein |
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The leather goods, footwear, and apparel industries are highly globalized, with products produced and distributed worldwide. Various standards and regulations must be adhered to in international trade, and TIC services assist businesses in meeting these requirements.
Apparels, Footwear, and Leather Goods (AFL) Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) services are in high demand as they ensure compliance with international standards, allowing for smooth trade and effective supply chain management. For instance, the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation, which restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in products, is one of the stringent regulations in place in the European Union.
With the increasing awareness of environmental issues and labor rights, there is a rising demand for sustainable and ethically produced apparels, footwear, and leather products. Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) services are being employed to verify compliance with environmental regulations, assess the use of eco-friendly materials such as hemp, wool, organic cotton, soy silk, bamboo fabrics, jute, and corn fibers. These materials are considered as eco-friendly fabrics as they are derived from nature without any harmful effects of chemical or toxics. They also ensure fair labor practices throughout the supply chain. For instance, organic cotton is produced without the use of GMOs, synthetic fertilizers, or pesticides. Its production conserves water, encourages biodiversity, and avoids the use of harmful chemicals. Due to its lower impact on the environment, organic cotton-based products are increasingly in demand.
New opportunities for TIC (Testing, Inspection, and Certification) providers can be created through collaborations with stakeholders in the apparel, footwear, and leather goods industries. The creation of individualized solutions, the expansion of service offerings, and access to new markets can all result from forming partnerships with retailers, manufacturers, and associations representing the industry. In addition, collaborative efforts have the potential to boost innovation, facilitate the sharing of knowledge, and raise industry standards.
For instance, in February 2025, Kyrgyzstan partnered with KyrgSert and China's Xinjiang Tianyu Engineering Testing to establish a textile and apparel testing laboratory. The facility will assess compliance with international and national quality standards, issue health and environmental safety certifications, provide consulting services, and support the adoption of international certification standards.
The Apparels, Footwear, and Leather Goods (AFL) Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) Market is witnessing significant growth in emerging markets, driven by rising disposable incomes, urbanization, and changing consumer lifestyles. Global markets present opportunities for AFL TIC service providers to expand their presence and cater to the increasing demand for quality, safe, and compliant products. For instance, India's rapid urbanization and rise in disposable incomes have altered consumer lifestyles and increased demand for fashionable and high-quality footwear and apparel. A growing demand for AFL TIC services to ensure compliance with international standards and regulations arises as consumers become more concerned about product safety and quality.
For instance, in September 2024, Guwahati's NEHHDC head office now houses Northeast India's first NABL-accredited textile testing laboratory. This milestone, announced by the North East Council, enhances the region's textile industry by ensuring compliance with national and international standards. Previously, local producers had to send samples to Kolkata; now, they have immediate access to high-quality testing services.
The growth of online shopping, especially for Apparels, Footwear, and Leather Goods (AFL products), has created new challenges for quality control and product authenticity. TIC services are increasingly utilized to verify the quality and authenticity of AFL products sold online, helping build trust between online retailers and consumers.
Technological advancements are transforming the global Apparels, Footwear, and Leather Goods (AFL) Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) market. New testing methods, such as advanced material analysis, chemical testing, and performance testing, are being developed to enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and speed of product testing. Automation and digitization are also playing a significant role in streamlining testing processes.
The AFL TIC market is moving from transactional compliance toward strategic risk control and brand-protecting assurance. Regulatory pressure, concentrated recall activity, and an accelerating insistence on verifiable sustainability credentials are shifting buyer behaviour: brands and retailers are no longer buying single tests; they are buying programme-level assurance that reduces recall risk, protects reputation, and supports product claims across complex global supply chains.
Heightened chemical scrutiny now dominates testing priorities. Official EU data recorded 70 chemical risk alerts for textiles in 2023, with roughly 85% classified as human-health risks and over 60% of those alerts related to chromium (VI) exceedances, a recurring failure mode in leather articles. This pattern is not isolated; the EU Safety Gate reported thousands of product alerts in the most recent year, underscoring persistent non-compliance hotspots in AFL items. These facts make regulatory chemistry screening (Cr (VI), APEOs, certain azo dyes, formaldehyde, selected flame retardants and, increasingly, PFAS suites) the highest-value test cluster for importers and brand compliance teams.
Demand for credible sustainability and chemical-management labels is quantifiably increasing and is re-shaping how TIC is procured. Independent certification bodies are scaling: OEKO-TEX reported a marked rise in issued certificates (well into the tens of thousands annually) and expanded control-testing efforts (thousands of retail samples and tens of thousands of tests per cycle). That growth signals that brands view third-party certification not as a marketing vanity but as a practical control lever to limit supply-chain risk and to meet retailer/platform onboarding thresholds. Consequently, TIC suppliers that can combine standardized chemical screens with traceable, certificate-backed provenance services command premium pricing and deeper, multi-year engagements.
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About Author
Ankur Rai is a Research Consultant with over 5 years of experience in handling consulting and syndicated reports across diverse sectors. He manages consulting and market research projects centered on go-to-market strategy, opportunity analysis, competitive landscape, and market size estimation and forecasting. He also advises clients on identifying and targeting absolute opportunities to penetrate untapped markets.
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